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Pro-Russian Rebels Seize More Ukrainian Land
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
January 24, 2015
All Rights Reserved.
Seizing the Donetsk airports Jan. 19, Pro-Russian
separatists continue their unrelenting march to divide Ukraine into two distinct
parts: One controlled by Kiev and
the other controlled by the so-called Peoples Republic of Donetsk. While signing onto the Minsk
protocol Sept. 5, 2014, Russia agreed to end pro-Russian separatists aggression
in the Southeastern Ukraine. Moscow
pretends that Pro-Russian rebel leader Alexander Azkharchenko operates
independently of the Kremlin, when in fact he’s completing Vladimir Putin’s
master plan of annexing Southeastern Ukraine after seizing the Crimean Peninsula
March 1. Putin talked a good game
in Minsk, despite the methodical advance by pro-Russian separatists success in
splitting Ukraine. Ukrainian’s
49-year-old chocolate baron President Petro Petroshenko can only watch
helplessly as Ukraine loses more territory.
Since slapped with three rounds of economic sanctions by the United
States and European Union March 6, 2014, the Russian economy has slid into
recession with the help of plummeting crude oil prices. Putin’s been on the defensive ever
since with Kremlin apologists warning the U.S. and EU of trying to depose the
Russian president. Putin’s answer
to the West has been to help pro-Russian separatists methodically seize more
Ukrainian territory. Seizing the
port city of Mariupol today firing Grad missiles killing at least 30 civilians,
Zakharchenko continues his push to take more Ukrainian territory. Begging the U.S. and EU for military
help, Pososhenko finds himself lacking the military resources to defend Ukraine. “Today an offensive was launched on Mariupol.
This will be the best possible monument to all our dead,” Russia’s RIA
news agency quoted Zarkharchenko.
Backed into a corner with economic sanctions plunging Russian into
recession, Putin’s only consolation is seizing more Ukrainian land to make the
March 1 invasion of Crimea worthwhile.
EU officials led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel have tried with no
success to appeal to Putin. Judging
by Putin’s recent speeches, he sees Russia as under siege by the U.S. and EU,
believing his only way out is seizing more territory. Putin blames the Feb. 22, 2014 coup
in Kiev—toppling the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovich—on the U.S.
CIA, accusing the West in meddling in Russian foreign affairs. Blaming the unrest in Eastern
Ukraine on Kiev, Putin has sacrificed Russia’s standing in the international
community. No longer seen as an
economic or security partner, the West views Putin as a Stalinist hell-bent on
restoring what’s left of the disintegrated Soviet Union.
All the talk of ending sanctions and returning normal relations, Putin
sees only seizing more territory as the answer to the West encroaching on
Moscow’s geopolitical ambitions.
Whatever happens with Zarkharchenko push to seize more Ukrainian territory, he
has the full backing of Putin and the Kremlin.
Speaking the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Russian Deputy
Foreign Minister Igor Shuvalov said Russians will eat less, belt tighten to
protect Putin. Shuvalov has accused
the West of trying to topple Putin applying economic sanctions to protest
Russia’s shenanigans in Ukraine.
Putin knows that Poroshenko can only blow smoke, since he lacks the firepower to
confront pro-Russian separatists.
“We are for peace but we accept the challenge of the enemy. We will protect our motherland,” said Porsoshenko yielding a big yawn in the Kremlin.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini denounced the Mariupol attack
putting the onus to Moscow.
“I . . .call openly upon Russia to use its considerable influence over
the separatist leaders and to stop any form of military, political or financial
support,” said Mogherini, wasting her voice-and-breath. U.S. and EU leader often pretend
that Moscow is a pro-Western partner.
Putin fully backs pro-separatists move to annex much of Ukraine’s
industrial east, leaving Kiev without any real industrial base. Putin’s response to U.S. and EU
sanctions has been to frenetically cut deals with China, India, former Caucasus
soviet satellites and U.S. enemies like Cuba and Venezuela. Given the weak price of oil, Putin
faces lower revenue, more deficits and a devalued Ruble. Using pro-Russian separatists to
steal more Ukrainian land serves the Kremlin’s geopolitical plans.
U.S. and EU officials face some tough choices dealing with Russia’s
anti-Western foreign policy.
Reeling Moscow back into the Western fold won’t be easy while Putin takes an
aggressive stance in Ukraine. With
a new GOP Senate headed by Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.) and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.),
Poroshenko can only pray his requests for military help are granted. Poroshenko would welcome U.S. or
NATO troops to help offset pro-Russian advances on Ukrainian territory. So far, neither the U.S. nor EU is
willing to commit ground troops in Ukraine.
Putin knows he can get away with more land-grabs in Eastern Ukraine,
knowing that Kiev can’t fight back.
Seizing the Donetsk airport and now Mariupol proves that Putin won’t stop until
he has his land bridge from Crimea to Mother Russia.
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